June 24, 2005

• Tuesday Bible Study Part 2 – See yesterday’s entry for Part 1

  
  

  Galatians 3:1-3 Oh foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from  you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

  
  

  Paul is asking did you get saved by a list of laws or rules? No. You got saved by reading or hearing the gospel and saying I believe it. Nobody receives salvation by works.

  
  

  V. 3 Your parenting style gives you a way. Many people feel that the way to get people to heaven is by altering their flesh. An adult is not going to respond to someone “beating” up on them. They will feel condemned, and stay in guilt and condemnation, feeling they are never good enough for God. You have to make sure people know that God will accept them, with all their baggage.

  
  

  V 5: Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?–

  
  

  Verse 5 is a powerful verse to show anyone who believes that the gifts ended with the apostles. Did Jesus ever work a miracle because he was a good guy? No, just like us, he used faith in working the miracles.

  
  

  When people come to the conclusion that the gifts of the Spirit ended with the disciples they are usually making a quantum leap in their thought process that is not biblical. It starts out with them thinking I’ve been good, I’ve followed all the rules, gone to church every time the door is open, read the Word of God, pray, do good works, and God did not work the miracle I need in my life. So (quantum leap) because the miracle did not happen in my life, it doesn’t happen at all. The miracles ended with the disciples.

  
  

  Pastor Don pointed out that that was pride to the max. There is no one perfect, except Christ, so who are we to come off figuring that we will merit anything due to our works. It is faith that produces miracles.

  
  

  John 6 the only acceptable work is to believe on God, who sent Christ.

  
  

  Galatians 9-11 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law and do them. But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for the just shall live by faith.

  
  

  We must, if we believe on Jesus, believe everything He said, not just believe for our salvation. Jesus wants to be with us through our lives, working in our lives, not just waiting to see him in Heaven. He has told us that these miracles are possible to all who believe. Not some, not just the apostles.

  
  

  It is ok with Jesus if, at times in our walk we can’t say in the flesh I believe, or I know, but because of our faith we say it in obedience to God. As we say things, they become part of our reality. Most people do not have total faith in Christ, but rather have mental assent. Faith is formed through experience.

  
  

  In Revelation 19:11 Now I saw heaven opened. and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean followed Him on white horses.

  
  

  We are the army that will follow Jesus, and the linen garments are the righteous acts of the saints. What is the righteous acts that we perform? It is to believe on Jesus, and all the other works we do are accessories.

  
  

  We seek to strive to do the acts that the Lord puts in place for us.

  
  

  Revelation 19:15  “..He himself will rule with a rod of iron.” The ones Christ will rule are those left on the earth after the rapture, those who were not destroyed by the judgments of Revelation, those who did not take the mark of Christ, He will rule those. Satan is bound for 1000 years (Rev. 20), and during that millennial reign, Christ will show the earth how God wanted it to be from the beginning of Creation. Christ is the second Adam.

  
  

  Then God will judge people according to their works. But you have to remember that the primary work is to believe on God, who sent Jesus. And God is looking for righteousness, for our belief and faith and obedience. He is not looking to nit pick our sins which are covered by the blood of Christ, but to show righteousness.

  
  

  Heather

  • 11:36 am
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